Society Archives

Manufacturing Islamophobia in the Media

WHEN IT COMES to Islam and Muslims, the Western world by and large has turned on the news to learn about this faith and its people. The danger of this kind of education is manifesting in the actions of Americans, with hate…

The Crisis Of Authority Among Muslims: Rediscovering Islamic Tradition | Dr Ovamir Anjum

What Does a (Good) Tradition Do A TRADITION SEPARATES the good answers to the problems it is concerned with from the bad ones, and further develops the good answers and prunes the bad ones. This dynamic of questioning, disagreement, and struggling to…

Got The Ramadan Blues? Work the BUGS Out Now! | Maryam Amirebrahimi

“I am exhausted,” a friend told me. “The days are so long this Ramadan. I haven’t been able to keep up with my Quran goals because of work and I don’t know how to balance spending time with my in-laws, taking care…

Parents in a School Daze over Islam

LECTURES ABOUT WHAT Buddhists believe and how their faith spread to China, Burma, and beyond whizzed past my unlistening ears. A bad student, I dozed through discussions about what Martin Luther nailed to the door of All Saints’ Church and why he…

Destructive Patterns in Muslim Leadership | Partisanship (Part 1)

"This overzealous adherence to a position is partisanship. Partisanship can take any difference, no matter where it ranks on the scale of problems, from benign to malignant, and make every difference the Armageddon to end all Armageddons. It causes many to see…

Islam: Truth, Virtue And Beauty | Dr Jaafar Idris

INDEED, ISLAM IS the religion of ultimate truth, virtue and beauty. Other doctrines and philosophies of life may have aspects of each of these principles but never are they in consistent harmony with each other as they are in Islam. In other…

Embarrassed to Follow Islam | Dr Uwaymir Anjum

SOMETIME AGO, I read a column in a major media outlet by a Muslim professor of political science in the United States who was hailed as a ‘progressive’ Muslim. He had stopped going to the local masjid, he proudly explained, because his…

When You Think People Judge You | Maryam Amirebrahimi

I STOOD IN front of a store employee and gave her a massive smile. I asked about her day, I tried to make small talk. She looked at me disapprovingly, a scowl on her face, barely engaging in my conversation. Immediately I…

Islamic Tradition (1) | Dr. Uwaymir Anjum

WHAT IS ISLAMIC “tradition”? Why and how has it been neglected? Why do we still need it in our modern world? What is the value of unity and diversity in Islam and how can these be maintained and kept in balance? We…

Positive or Passive?

TO HAVE A positive orientation and attitude is to be a constructive member in your society. Social positivity is necessary for a healthy community as it indicates the willingness of its members to take part in guiding and building their communal life,…